The Marvellous Mekong.

The flight from Phu Quoc was a smooth one (I never thought that I'd be happy to fly on a turboprop 'plane) and the process of recovering my motorbike at Tan Son Nhat Airport effortless. The system there is simple, for any who might wish to leave a motorbike while they take a side trip. A smart card is issued when you leave the bike and is scanned on your return; owed monies are then paid. I think that it cost VND15,000 per night, though it could have been less.

River houses, My Tho.

 Today's aim was Ben Tre. I'd been advised by a friend (travelling chemicals salesman) of my hotel's owner in Phu Quoc that I should make sure that I visit Ben Tre, simply because it's a quieter, "more authentic" (whatever that means) city than Can Tho, which is the now traditional base for Mekong tours. On his advice, I would go from Saigon to Ben Tre, from there to Can Tho and finish with Chau Doc on the Cambodian border. The distances between these cities are not onerous by any means, allowing stops in places such as Vinh Long if the fancy grabbed me.

Ben Tre by night.

The ride to Ben Tre was complicated by leaving Saigon, a difficult undertaking at the best of times. Frequent stops were needed to check that I was going in the right direction and the traffic was rather thick. Eventually it thinned out as I entered the QL1, a dual carriageway which heads towards the Mekong cities. This was all going well, until my progress was unnervingly halted by a rear puncture, causing me to skid and slide; I didn't want to hit the brakes too hard, for this would have caused more problems for me.

Coconut boat, Ben Tre.

A passing motorcyclist slowed and told me that there was a garage nearby which could repair my tyre for me. I went in and began to explain the situation but was interrupted by the return of the passer-by, who wanted to ensure that the mechanic didn't overcharge me. He'd dropped his wife at home and come back, buying me an iced coffee while we awaited the repair of the tyre. It also emerged that components of the rear wheel mechanism were also broken, so I had to have those sorted too. The passer-by was in fact an accountant and lived nearby, so we talked at length, with his evident pride in his family coming through in all that he said.

When the mechanic had finished, he charged me VND180,000 for the work and I was on my way again. The road was fine - largely flat and conducive to quick riding, which was on the agenda again now that I had regained my pre-crash confidence. Foreigners on motorcycles seem to be a rarer sight in this area than I'd envisaged, for the waves from the roadside and from passing buses were both frequent, sincere and surprising.

The first stop was My Tho, dubbed the "gateway to the Mekong Delta" by a number of publications. This was my first exposure to river life and it was a magnificent sight, with the Mekong flowing in its grubby grandeur through the centre of town, myriad boats visible in transit or at rest. I also saw river houses, built on stilts, something which was new to me. Coming to this area gave me a sense of completeness in terms of viewing the Vietnamese patchwork quilt, so to speak. I'd seen the hard mountain life of the north, hectic urban scenes, the lush central highlands and even an island, so now the river and its concomitant abundance almost completed the set. The passing boats carried all manner of goods, mainly fruit and timber, but it was still a refreshing sight and an indicator of why the Mekong is viewed as the breadbasket of the nation. My Tho also yielded my first experience of hu tieu, a delicious Vietnamese noodle soup not dissimilar to but distinct enough from pho. 

Spot the boatman (impromptu repairs)...

On to Ben Tre, then. The hotel was comfortable enough (Hung Vuong, US$25) and situated on the river beside a tourist wharf. There's not a whole lot to do in Ben Tre, for the attractions lie around rather than inside the city. That said, some excellent food vendors are on the riverfront towards the market area and the ambiently-lit promenade makes for a pleasant place to sit and read or meet locals in the evening. The same is true of the rooftop terrace at the Ham Luong Hotel, which yields excellent views of the river and has an extensive drinks menu. I decided to plump for a durian smoothie, amusing the waiters when I gave it back after battling manfully to enjoy it. The durian to me tasted like someone had blended onions with ice, while the smell was equally repulsive. It was frankly disgusting.

Tours from Ben Tre run with Nam Bo tours, whose office adjoins the Hung Vuong hotel. The owner, Mr Tam, is a good source of local knowledge and the tours are very good indeed. I paid for a five hour river tour (VND500,000 per boat) and was very impressed, taking in a brick factory, coconut candy factory and a sleeping mat "factory" (ladies weaving at home). Transport was by motorboat (a highlight being the disappearance of the skipper over the side of the boat into the water in order to unblock the engine), rowing boat, tuc-tuc and bicycle. Lunch and refreshments were included and you can buy various bits of local produce along the way, including handbags made from coconut wood and coconut candy. Coconut is the dominant product in the area, as you may be able to tell.